Gospel Against Aids Inc

IN 2020, GOSPEL AGAINST AIDS (GAA) CREATED AND IMPLEMENTED THE FIRST IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AN HIV DISTANCE SELF-TESTING INITIATIVE ALONG WITH A COVID 19 SAFETY PROTOCOL APPROVED BY THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION DESIGNED TO PROTECT VOLUNTEERS, CLIENTS AND GAA HIV TESTERS AND COUNSELORS. THE INITIATIVE BEGAN WITH WALGREENS ISSUANCE OF ORASURE HIV HOME TEST KITS. THE DONATION OF THESE KITS BEGAN THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS NEW COMPONENT. AS A PART OF THIS COMPONENT, GAA CREATED AND IMPLEMENTED HIV AND COVID 19 TELEMED INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS SUPPORTED BY THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. THESE SESSIONS, FACILITATED BY OUR INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALISTS, ADDRESSED MISINFORMATION, TRANSMISSION, SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF COVID 19 AND ITS IMPACT ON PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS. THE DEMAND FOR THESE SESSIONS REACHED BEYOND SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN, TO INCLUDE HIV SERVICE PROVIDERS STATEWIDE, AS WELL AS INTO NATIONAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, NATIONAL FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN WASHINGTON DC., NEW YORK CITY, AND MEMPHIS. THESE TELEMED SESSIONS RECEIVED THE ATTENTION OF NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO (NPR) WHERE MORE THAN ONE MILLION LISTENERS WERE ABLE TO ACCESS THIS INFORMATION. THESE SESSIONS ALONG WITH OUR HIV DISTANCE SELF-TESTING COMPONENT CONTINUE TO THIS DAY AND HAVE BECOME A PERMANENT COMPONENT OF GAA. THESE SESSIONS WERE SUSTAINED THROUGHOUT 2021 AND HAVE BECOME A MAJOR PART OF THE FUNDED SERVICES GAA WILL PROVIDE IN 2022.ALSO IN 2020, GAA WAS INVITED TO PROVIDE OUR ANTI-STIGMA HIV TRAINING SESSION FOR THE NATIONAL SOUTHERN BAPTIST LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE FOR THEIR ANNUAL CONFERENCE. BECAUSE OF COVID, THIS CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN-PERSON AND VIRTUALLY. OVER 200 PEOPLE ATTENDED "VIRTUALLY." GAA'S SESSION WILL REMAIN ACCESSIBLE ON THE LEADERSHIP'S WEBSITE THROUGHOUT 2021 AND 2022. NEW PARTNERSHIPS FORMED IN 2020 INCLUDED: WAYNE COUNTY ORAL HEALTH COALITIONS "CHRIST AGAINST COVID ANTIBODY PREVALENCE PROJECT" THAT ALLOWED GAA TO IMPLEMENT OUR HIV DISTANCE SELF-TESTING INITIATIVE ALONG WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED PARTNERING ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDED COVID 19 TESTING AND VACCINATIONS. GAA ESTABLISHED THIS SAME PARTNERSHIP WITH AUTHORITY HEALTH AND UNIVERSITY PHARMACY THAT ALLOWS THIS COLLABORATIVE TO ALSO OFFER FLU VACCINATIONS AS WELL. GAA ALSO IMPLEMENTS THIS COMPONENT IN OUR SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND TREATMENT CENTER SITES ALONG WITH OUR ANNUAL PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MEN'S HEALTH INITIATIVE HELD AT FORD FIELD WHOSE ATTENDANCE DOUBLED OVER THE PAST YEAR. LASTLY, GAA EXCEEDED ITS OBJECTIVES ISSUED BY THE STATE OF MICHIGAN BECAUSE OF OUR ABILITY TO QUICKLY ADAPT TO THE CHALLENGES CREATED BY COVID 19. BOTH PARTNERSHIPS WERE SUSTAINED THROUGHOUT 2021 AND 2022.ADDITIONALLY, GAA FORMED A PARTNERSHIP WITH COVENANT COMMUNITY CARE (CCC). CCC IS THE ONLY FAITH-BASED INTEGRATED HEALTH SYSTEM IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. WITH 6 LOCATIONS IN THE METROPOLITAN DETROIT AREA, THIS PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CCC AND GAA REPRESENTS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND NATIONALLY TO MERGE FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS WITH HIV TESTING. UNDER A GRANT FROM HRSA, CCC HAS CONTRACTED WITH GAA TO CREATE AND IMPLEMENT HIV TESTING AND COUNSELING AT 4 OF ITS TARGETED CLINICS LOCATED IN HIGH PREVALENT HIV COMMUNITIES. LASTLY, GAA HAS FORMED COLLABORATIVE WITH OTHER HIV AND NON-HIV SERVICES PROVIDERS TO ESTABLISH "POINTS OF CARE." GAA'S "POINTS OF CARE COLLABORATIVE", ALLOWS CLIENTS ACCESS TO A NUMBER OF HIV AND NON-HIV SERVICES AT DESIGNATED GAA HIV TESTING SITES. FROM DENTAL SERVICES, TO FOOD, CLOTHING, ETC., ALL PROVIDED BY OTHER LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDERS SPECIALIZING IN THEIR DESIGNATED FIELDS. WHILE LINKAGE TO CARE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN OBJECTIVE FOR GAA, THIS COLLABORATIVE HAS ENABLED GAA TO MOVE CLOSER TO ESTABLISHING THIS AS A CENTRAL SERVICE OFFERED BY GAA.